56. Tacky's Revolt: Causes of the Rebellion

Anita Anand and William Durham-Poole interview Vincent Brown, a history professor at Harvard University, about his book "Tacky's Revolt," which details the largest slave revolt in the 18th-century British Empire. The discussion begins with the destabilization of West Africa due to the slave trade, focusing on militarized slaving states like Dahomey and the impact of European firearms. They explore the economics of slavery, the brutal conditions endured by enslaved people during the "seasoning" period in Jamaica, and the strategic importance of Caribbean colonies to the British Empire. The conversation also highlights the dehumanization inherent in the slave system, exemplified by the character Apongo, who was renamed Wager after the ship that transported him, and the cruelty documented by plantation overseer Thomas Thistlewood. The episode sets the stage for a deeper dive into Tacky's Revolt in the next episode.